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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26733388">Mixology Revisted</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearzoemurphy/pseuds/dearzoemurphy'>dearzoemurphy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>100 Ways to Say "I Love You" [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Community (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drunk Character, F/M, Mid-Canon, Mid-season 5, Missing Scene, No established relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:54:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,475</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26733388</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearzoemurphy/pseuds/dearzoemurphy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>100 ways to say 'I love you' #49: call me when you get home</p>
<p>Jeff has a little too much fun during a night out with the Save Greendale Committee, so Britta steps up to help him out once everyone else has left.</p>
<p>Set sometime during season 5 post-Geothermal Escapism.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Britta Perry &amp; Jeff Winger, Britta Perry/Jeff Winger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>100 Ways to Say "I Love You" [13]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1257944</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Mixology Revisted</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this is the first of many 'ways to say I love you' prompt requests, and the first of several featuring Jeff and Britta! I hope you all enjoy &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Bye, Abed. Take care,” Britta said, waving goodbye to her friend as he strode towards the exit. Jeff lifted his head off of the table enough to give a nod of acknowledgement before settling right back down.</p>
<p>Despite it being a Tuesday night, the Save Greendale committee had decided to go out to the Vatican for a round of drinks to celebrate finally getting all of the school’s resident raccoon population out of the air vents. Britta’s shift wasn’t scheduled to start until later in the night, so she was able to join them while also being able to ensure that their drinks would be comped.</p>
<p>They had all had a good amount of fun, but Jeff had taken things to the next level. He downed shots like they were going out of style while intermittently sipping on scotch, claiming that he had the most to forget since he had been the one to directly handle most of the raccoons. </p>
<p>“Hey, buddy, so…everyone else has gone home and my shift starts in five,” Britta said gently, reaching over to poke Jeff in the arm.</p>
<p>“Noooo, don’t go!” Jeff whined, “The night is only getting started, everyone else is just lame.”</p>
<p>“I know, that’s why I have to go. The rapidly growing piles of dishes aren’t going to wash themselves,” she said glibly.</p>
<p>“Yeah they can, that’s what dishwashers are for. Duh.”</p>
<p>Britta rolled her eyes, trying to suppress a smile. “Sure, sure. Well, this place is a little too broke to fix ours, which leaves the job to me.”</p>
<p>“Well…you still don’t have to leave me alone,” Jeff said.</p>
<p>“And why not?” Britta asked, feigning interest and sarcastically raising an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Do you love me?” he said, speech slurring ever so slightly, neglecting to answer her previous question.</p>
<p>Britta pursued her lips and thought for a moment. “Of course I love you.”</p>
<p>“Then don’t leave! You wouldn’t leave if you loved me,” Jeff exclaimed, grabbing her arm and shaking it.</p>
<p>She sighed. “Jeff, I would love to hang out with you a little while longer, but I have a shift to clock into. Besides, you should probably go home, anyway. We have an 8am class tomorrow,” Britta reasoned, pulling her arm away. She suddenly remembered how much of a nuisance drunk Jeff could be.</p>
<p>Her friend pouted at this, moving to rest his head on her shoulder. “Call in sick. Take a night off. Stay here with me,” he practically pleaded.</p>
<p>“I think it’s too late to call in sick, I’m already here,” Britta said with a laugh.</p>
<p>“Okay, then. I’ll stay here until you’re done and we can hang out after that!”</p>
<p>“Did you not hear what I said about our 8am class?” she mused, almost to herself.</p>
<p>“You work later all the time and still make it to class,” Jeff protested.</p>
<p>“Yeah, because I’ve grown accustomed to it! And I start my day with almost a whole pot of coffee.”</p>
<p>Jeff rolled his eyes. “Sure, sure. Whatever.”</p>
<p>“So…you’re going home then, right?”</p>
<p>He sighed in resignation. “I suppose…wait a second, you don’t need to call in sick to work! We can just call in sick to class tomorrow!” Jeff said gleefully, clearly proud of his sudden realization.</p>
<p>“I don’t think you <em>need</em> to call in sick to Greendale. You can just choose to not show up,” she countered, not thinking about how the observation didn’t help prove her point.</p>
<p>Jeff gasped, his jaw dropping. “Really?! How come we've never done that before?” he asked, portraying genuine confusion.</p>
<p>Britta realized her slip up and buried her head in her hands. “Because we need to attend class in order to pass so that we can get our degrees,” she replied through gritted teeth, “Now, you didn’t drive yourself here, did you?”</p>
<p>“Nope! Came here with Craig,” he said.</p>
<p>“Great, so I’m going to call you an Uber to take you home, you’re going to get in said Uber, and I’m going to wash the dishes that I need to wash without having to worry about you getting into any trouble,” Britta said firmly.</p>
<p>Jeff pouted. “Oh, come on…that’s no fun! I don’t wanna go home! I want another scotch!”</p>
<p>She sighed, already plugging Jeff’s address into the Uber app. “No, you’re not getting another scotch. You’re going to go home and drink as much water as humanly possible so you don’t hate yourself tomorrow morning.”</p>
<p>“Okay, <em>mom</em>,” he muttered, sticking his tongue out at her. </p>
<p>Britta shook her head. “Alright, <em>son</em>, your driver is two minutes away. We should go wait outside.”</p>
<p>Jeff gave vague grumbles of protest as Britta led him out of the bar, stopping at a bench placed right outside the door and directing him to sit down. He looked down in disgust at the faded, scuffed up wood, but took a seat anyway.</p>
<p>“Okay, I need you to promise me that you’re actually going to drink water when you get home. And maybe take a shower. I promise that you’ll thank me in the morning,” she said.</p>
<p>“I will, I will!” he assured, “I’m a grown man, Britta. I know what to do.”</p>
<p>She gave him a wry smile. “I know that you <em>know</em> what to do, I just want confirmation that you’ll do it.”</p>
<p>Jeff rolled his eyes in an overdramatic fashion. “Fine. I’ll do it! I promise,” he said, waving his hand as he reached out to her. Britta gave a soft smile, taking his hand and sitting down next to him on the bench.</p>
<p>“Good. I’m glad to hear it,” she said.</p>
<p>He smiled in return, his expression quickly morphing into a curious one as he gazed at Britta for a moment.</p>
<p>“Britta?"</p>
<p>"Yes?"</p>
<p>"Why are you taking care of me like this?” he asked, tone suddenly shifting.</p>
<p>Britta looked down, feeling a compulsion to avoid his wide-eyed stare. It definitely wasn’t because she felt nervous about how nice he looked in the soft, golden light. “I mean…you’re in no state to take care of yourself,” she said.</p>
<p>“Yeah, but most people would have just…left me in there,” Jeff said, leaning his head onto her shoulder, Britta then resting hers on top of his.</p>
<p>“Well, I’m not most people,” she said softly.</p>
<p>He turned towards her and placed a somewhat sloppy kiss on her jaw, most definitely intending for his lips to land on her cheek and missing. “That’s right. You’re the best of us all, Britts.”</p>
<p>She felt her heart slowly begin to race, a swell of adoration building in her chest. “Th- thanks, Jeff,” Britta stammered, trying to ignore the sudden prick of tears behind her eyes.</p>
<p>“Of course. Now, might that be my ride?” Jeff asked, pointing to a car that had just pulled up in front of them.</p>
<p>“Yeah…yeah, it is,” Britta said. She squeezed his hand before letting it go and standing up, Jeff following suit. He stumbled slightly on his way to the car, Britta looping one arm around his shoulders to help him over. She got out her phone to confirm that it was the right car before opening the door to the backseat and guiding him inside.</p>
<p>“Hello! Someone have a fun night?” the driver asked, glancing back towards the pair.</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah he did…just sending him home now,” Britta said, giving him a polite smile. She turned back to Jeff and moved to smooth down a lock of his hair.</p>
<p>“Alright, well…I’ll see you tomorrow. But um…can you do me a favor?” she asked.</p>
<p>Jeff sighed and nodded. “Yes, yes, I’ll drink water and take a shower.”</p>
<p>“No, not that. I mean, yes, please do that! But, uh…can you also call me when you get home?”</p>
<p>A delighted grin slowly spread across his face. “Aww, you’re worried about me? Of course I’ll call,” he said, launching himself forward to hug Britta the best that he could in his current seated position.</p>
<p>She crouched and leaned into the car, awkwardly returning the embrace. “Good,” she murmured, stroking his hair as the hug lasted a few moments longer than was probably comfortable for their Uber driver. However, she didn’t want to be the first to let go.</p>
<p>“Alright. See you tomorrow,” Jeff said, eventually drawing back to buckle his seatbelt.</p>
<p>Britta smiled. “See you tomorrow,” she repeated, waving goodbye to him and the driver before gently shutting the car door.</p>
<p>She stepped back onto the curb and watched the car leave the parking lot, not thinking of anything in particular as it joined the stream of bright lights and drove out of her line of sight.</p>
<p>However, <em>“You’re the best of us all, Britts,”</em> echoed in her mind from the time she started scrubbing dishes to the time that she finally fell into bed and drifted off to sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>as always, please leave any thoughts/opinions/etc. in the comments down below! I actually had an alternate idea for this prompt when I was almost done with this so...maybe I'll write it out after getting through the rest of my request list. </p>
<p>I hope you all have a good day, thanks for reading!! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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